Winning Southern Amateur Launched Careers For Future PGA Stars

The pathway from the grind of amateur golf to the rarified air of the PGA Tour has always been challenging. But winning the Southern Amateur Championship has proven to be a springboard in launching the careers of many golfers who went onto greater success as professionals, including several who captured majors.

Dating back to three-time Southern Amateur winner Bobby Jones who went on to claim 13 major championships across eight seasons in the 1920s, the list of winners is impressive: Gay Brewer, Hubert Green, Lanny Wadkins, Ben Crenshaw, Tim Simpson, Bob Tway, Mark Brooks, Justin Leonard, Webb Simpson and Harris English.

With the 117^th Southern Amateur being contested Wednesday through Saturday this week at The Honors Course, the golfers are fully aware that winning this prestigious event can alter the trajectory of their career.

Former Baylor School golfer Harris English had a single goal in mind in the summer of 2011 after completing his career at Georgia – earning a spot on the Walker Cup team. His week at the Southern Amateur on the difficult Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida greatly enhanced those dreams.

“I had a pretty good run at the U.S. Public Links at Bandon Dunes a couple of weeks before, making it to the quarterfinals,” English said in a recent interview. “So I felt like I was playing some good golf at the time heading into the Southern Am.”

English battled a weather delay late in the final round to card a 6-under 65 to win by three strokes, finishing the four days at 9-under par.

“I remember actually rooming with (former Baylor teammate) Stephan Jaeger that week, and it made the week more enjoyable,” English said. “My good play helped me take a lot of confidence into the next week where I got an exemption as an amateur into the Nationwide (now Korn Ferry) Tour event in Columbus, Ohio.”

Competing on the Ohio State Scarlet Course, English won that week as well but did not accept the winner’s purse to maintain his eligibility for the Walker Cup. It provided glimmers of what awaited him when he turned professional later that year as English has claimed four PGA wins and was part of the 2021 Ryder Cup championship squad.

“Winning the Southern Am helped solidify my spot for the Walker Cup, and it gave me confidence that I could compete and win at a high level,” English said. “I’m excited that The Honors Course is hosting this year and I know it will be a great field. I can’t wait to watch the scores.”

Webb Simpson, winner of seven PGA Tour events including the 2012 U.S. Open and the 2018 Players Championship, has special memories when reflecting on his pair of Southern Amateur victories.

He won the first one in 2005 after his freshman year at Wake Forest, claiming the trophy by one shot at The Dunes Golf and Beach Club in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Simpson won again in 2007, making a six-foot par putt on the final hole for a one-shot victory at the Country Club of North Carolina Dogwood course in Pinehurst.

“I have many great memories from the Southern Am, and was fortunate to win that great tournament twice,” Simpson said. “Having grown up in Raleigh, the win at the Country Club of North Carolina was particularly special. I was able to capture the trophy in front of many family members and friends with my dad on my bag that week. That’s a moment I’ll always cherish.”

The Southern Amateur wins helped launch Simpson’s professional career, and he remains connected to the event still today.

“I continue to follow the results each year, and I’ve had the privilege to get to know the past two winners, Maxwell Moldovan and David Ford,” Simpson said. “Both of these young men have attended my Webb Simpson Challenge events in Pinehurst, so seeing them have success is a really fun connection for me.”

With 21 career wins including the 1977 PGA Championship and participating in eight Ryder Cups, Lanny Wadkins still considers the pair of Southern Amateur titles he won in 1968 and 1970 among his proudest accomplishments.

“I was sixteen years old when I played in my first U.S. Open, but winning my first Southern Amateur at Lost Tree Club in Florida two years later was the biggest thrill of my golf career at the time,” Wadkins said. “My second win in 1970 in New Orleans was special because it was in the middle of a magical year for me where I also won the Western Amateur and the U.S. Amateur. I’m still always interested in finding out who has won the Southern Amateur.”

Two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw also claimed a pair of Southern Amateur championships, winning at the Country Club of North Carolina in 1971 and at the Champions Golf Club in Houston in 1973. The connection the tournament had with the legendary Bobby Jones was particularly meaningful to him.

“I think the Southern Amateur trophy is one of the prettiest trophies in golf, especially when you consider its historical significance,” Crenshaw said. “The George W. Adair Trophy was donated by one of Bobby Jones’ best friends, and that makes it extra special. The Southern Amateur has always had a great field of players and was highly anticipated. I was very proud to win two of them.”

With a highly competitive field featuring 61 of the top 150 amateur golfers in the world – including seven of the top 10 – the 156 participants will tackle the recently restored Honors Course layout which will be playing at a challenging 7,527 yards.

The field will be trimmed after the first two days to the top 66 scores plus ties in the 72-hole event. Groups will tee off holes 1 and 10 each day at 7:30 a.m. and the public is invited to watch the competition with no admission cost. Patron parking is accessed by turning left at Wendy’s from the interstate onto Ooltewah/Georgetown Road and its located 7/10 of a mile on the right. Shuttle busses will transport patrons to the course throughout the day, and the clubhouse and restaurant will be open to the public.

Live scoring is available through the link https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/9190347135600581333 or by going to the Southern Golf Association website at www.southerngolf.org.

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Paul Payne can be emailed at paulpayne6249@gmail.com